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How to Prepare for Speaking on Camera

17th Apr 2019

Even the most confident person can get nervous in front of the camera. Being an experienced public speaker is not the same as being an effective communicator on screen. Here are our top tips on how to prepare yourself for being filmed!

First of all choose a production team you feel comfortable with. At Knew Productions, we work hard to ensure everyone feels as relaxed and as at ease as possible, we want you to enjoy the experience!

Then:

Schedule plenty of time to film lots of ‘takes’ - you don’t want to feel rushed.

Familiarise yourself with the script or your key messages but don’t try to memorise it word for word, you want to speak naturally but cover everything important.

Choose an outfit that you feel comfortable in. Avoid small checks or pin stripes as this can look blurred on video. Something tailored, clean and wrinkle free would be fine.

Apply any make-up as you normally would, it may be necessary for you to use some additional translucent powder before filming (men too), to reduce shine on your face.

You want to come across calm but alert. Immediately before filming do whatever makes you relax, this could be exercising, yoga, going for a walk or listening to music. Some people find talking to themselves in front of a mirror helps and a cup of coffee can give a little pep up if your feeling low on energy.

Stay hydrated - sips of water between takes will help if you get a dry mouth.

If it is necessary for you to walk or move about in your video, markers can be placed on the floor so you know where to stop before you walk out of frame.

Speak a little slower than normal - people often speed up their speech when they’re nervous, so take a deep breath and try to relax.

You will rarely be asked to speak directly into the camera lens, usually you will talk to the director just to the side. Try to keep eye contact and speak normally to them, any questions they ask you can be edited out later so try to include the question in your answer.

Limit distractions, including unnecessary people on set and any background noise, phones or alarms.

Check on your body language - this can be noticeable on camera. Constantly clearing your throat, wringing you hands, blinking excessively or tapping your foot will make you look tense and nervous. Take some deep breaths and relax your shoulders to pull yourself out of it.

Trust your director - they know what looks good on screen and how things will cut together in the edit.

Lastly, don’t worry about making mistakes - thats why we have editors! One of the best things about making a video is that we can record a few different ‘takes’ that can be cut and polished back at the edit suite - so you come across seamlessly and at your best, to your audience.